Teams to play at historic site

An exhibition game two Weston travel teams will feature a bit of baseball.

Weston’s eight- and nine-year-old blue and gold teams will face each other on Monday, July 23, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Macombs Dam Park in the Bronx, the site of the old Yankee Stadium.

“For 11 months I’ve been negotiating with (actually begging and sweet talking) someone at NYC Parks and Recs and trying to get a permit for one game,” said Weston blue coach Seve Esposito, who is originally from the Bronx. “This week she gave me a permit to play that one game .”

When he was coaching Weston’s seven- and eight-year-old team last season Esposito wanted to arrange a game in the Bronx against his old Little League team at Pelham Bay Park where he played.

But when the Yankees built their new stadium, they made a deal with the city of New York that they would build a park with fields exclusively for Bronx children and schools at Macombs Dam Park, the actual grounds of the old Yankee Stadium. However, that field was booked for those Bronx players for the next three seasons.

“But I was determined to get my team to play against a Bronx team THERE, at Macombs Dam Park,” said Esposito. “I mean, how cool of an experience would that be? Playing on the same ground as Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle and Jeter Right there next to the New Yankee Stadium?”

Since Weston has two eight- and nine-year-old teams (the gold team coached by Jim Aselta) he did not want any of the players to miss the opportunity to play at Macombs Dam Park. An intra-town game would be became the better choice.

“I thought an exhibition scrimmage game between our two squads there would be something special for all,” he said. “We’re really all one big team representing Weston.” he said.